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ISB MBA Admissions & Related Blogs 08 Sep 2021, 03:00
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FROM ISB PGP Admissions Director Blog: My incredible one year at ISB
“ISB provides an absolute work-class academics.”

“The professors at ISB are at the top of their game.”

– Prashanth Venkatesh

If I could summarise my journey through ISB in one sentence, it probably would be “Lived a lifetime in one year.” That is how wonderfully crazy it is to study at ISB.

You really get to know how much can happen in a single calendar year. It is really about 365 days and nights where one spends around 20 hours a day learning & just 4 hours sleeping. You meet professionals from all over the country and different parts of the globe. One gets to participate in conferences, presentations, quizzes, events, clubs, networking and much more. I am glad that I was able to do all of it in just one year and look back at it as a fond memory.

Sometimes in life, it is more important to know what you don’t want to do rather than what you want to do. In an era where we are inundated by choices, it becomes difficult to choose where you want to go ahead in your career. My curiosity towards marketing made my choice quite easy and that is how I came to ISB – the mecca of marketing.

I managed to specialise in Marketing as well as Finance. These specialisations benefitted my career tremendously. Marketing helped me land into my job and I have never looked back ever since. Finance helped me appreciate the way great companies are built around strong capital investments. One cannot have a strong company without a strong balance sheet.

How ISB empowers you

When I think about how PGP empowered me and my career, I chart out three strong points. These three takeaways are the cornerstone of my leadership and career development. There are many great B-Schools around the world and in India but what differentiates ISB for me are the following:

A) World Class Academics

ISB provides absolute work-class academics. PGP has a very designed curriculum that can be split into two terms – the core term and the elective term. Core term lays a strong foundation of business management wherein you learn the basics of subjects such as finance, strategy, economics, marketing and digital marketing. The elective term is where you discover the subject of your interest & garner in-depth knowledge about them. Overall, ISB provides a great mix of courses on Operations, Leadership, Analytics, Strategy, Finance and Marketing.

The professors at ISB are at the top of their game. We had around 30 professors on the campus & each one of them was a master of their subjects. These tutors aren’t like latching on to their past laurels but are continuing to do great research & teach from a more contemporary point of view. The amount of visiting faculty that comes to ISB is unparallel in India. Professors from Top B-Schools bring diverse knowledge and aid in developing a well-rounded global perspective.

Another great advantage that ISB brings is the peer learning group where all our batchmates come from diverse backgrounds and share varied perspectives from different walks of life. These peers end up becoming a part of your life and life-long friends. I still keep in touch with my peer group and share career notes with them on regular basis.

Lastly, international immersion plays a very crucial role in developing a global business perspective. Though I didn’t apply for the student exchange programme, I still ended up students coming from Top B-Schools in the USA, Europe and Asia on the campus. The learning environment ISB provides is inconceivable until you join the programme yourself!

B) The Extraordinary Network

I think you hear every single ISB alum rave about the Alumni Network and like most of the aspirants, I had the same question – Why should I pay so much for a network? Yet ten years after graduating from ISB, it is probably my biggest takeaway – having an unbelievably diverse network.

In my class itself, we had cohorts from every single undergrad out there and all walks of life. My wife herself was a doctor who had served in the Indian Navy. We had journalists, lawyers, engineers, economists, medical professionals, army personnel and the list goes on.

Even the functional experience you see in the class is mind-boggling. We had engineers who had already moved into a different functional area. There were people from consulting. Few of them had on-ground experience in the energy sector. Getting to learn from their experience was a fantastic experience. Talking about sectoral representation, we had people who had worked in SBI and ICICI in the same class! All in all, ISB has diversity at its core.

When I look at the Alumni Network, each member has an unfathomable number of resources to tap in from. From startups to big conglomerates; Consulting giants to financial moguls; social impact to public policy – you will find ISB alumni working in all sectors all around the world.

A network is not about having a thousand friends. It is about having 1000 people whom you can turn up to any time for advice. ISB Alumni Network in that sense is a truly Transformational Network.

C) Personal Growth

In a country where you have Top B-Schools with over 60 years of legacy, ISB is a very young B-School and yet very entrepreneurial in nature. Entrepreneurial not in terms of joining a startup, but rather the way it induces creativity, innovation and growth mindset through its pedagogy and research. This helps you immensely in career development not just after graduation, but even 10 years down the line. From my batch of 2011, only 1% of the classmates are in the same field they started their career in and are doing phenomenally well in their lives.

Think of ISB as a startup ecosystem where you can do what you want to do like an entrepreneur. If a student is interested in something – nothing stops him/her from taking the initiative. For example, 10 years back during my time at ISB, India had won its first individual gold medal in Olympics, a batchmate of ours started an initiative called ISL to bring sports and business together on the campus. Another batchmate wanted to start a mutual fund and school helped him find ways to do it. This is something unique to ISB in comparison to traditional B-Schools where you have a long hierarchy and process to get things done.

Since ISB is very entrepreneurial, it has managed to keep its curriculum & course upgraded and global. The school really listens to the frequent feedback alumni provide keeps updating itself accordingly.

All in all, ISB has a student-driven entrepreneurial culture. I believe it also applies to the alumni as well. You will never see alumni as passionate about ISB in any other school. We are always in touch with the school in any possible we can.

Prashanth Venkatesh is Marketing Director, Brand Unilever & Sustainability at Unilever. An ISB alumnus (PGP Co’2011), Prasanth leads Master Brand Communication for Unilever in India, heading Unilever’s flagship behaviour change and deployment programs across WASH, Plastics, and Health. He also Leads partnerships with government and impact sector partners. The blog summarises his PGP journey he shared during an online session conducted by the Indian School of Business.

Author: Paritosh Garlyal
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FROM ISB Admissions Blog: My Incredible One Year at ISB
“ISB provides an absolute work-class academics.”

“The professors at ISB are at the top of their game.”

– Prashanth Venkatesh

If I could summarise my journey through ISB in one sentence, it probably would be “Lived a lifetime in one year.” That is how wonderfully crazy it is to study at ISB.

You really get to know how much can happen in a single calendar year. It is really about 365 days and nights where one spends around 20 hours a day learning & just 4 hours sleeping. You meet professionals from all over the country and different parts of the globe. One gets to participate in conferences, presentations, quizzes, events, clubs, networking and much more. I am glad that I was able to do all of it in just one year and look back at it as a fond memory.

Sometimes in life, it is more important to know what you don’t want to do rather than what you want to do. In an era where we are inundated by choices, it becomes difficult to choose where you want to go ahead in your career. My curiosity towards marketing made my choice quite easy and that is how I came to ISB – the mecca of marketing.

I managed to specialise in Marketing as well as Finance. These specialisations benefitted my career tremendously. Marketing helped me land into my job and I have never looked back ever since. Finance helped me appreciate the way great companies are built around strong capital investments. One cannot have a strong company without a strong balance sheet.

How ISB empowers you

When I think about how PGP empowered me and my career, I chart out three strong points. These three takeaways are the cornerstone of my leadership and career development. There are many great B-Schools around the world and in India but what differentiates ISB for me are the following:

A) World Class Academics

ISB provides absolute work-class academics. PGP has a very designed curriculum that can be split into two terms – the core term and the elective term. Core term lays a strong foundation of business management wherein you learn the basics of subjects such as finance, strategy, economics, marketing and digital marketing. The elective term is where you discover the subject of your interest & garner in-depth knowledge about them. Overall, ISB provides a great mix of courses on Operations, Leadership, Analytics, Strategy, Finance and Marketing.

The professors at ISB are at the top of their game. We had around 30 professors on the campus & each one of them was a master of their subjects. These tutors aren’t like latching on to their past laurels but are continuing to do great research & teach from a more contemporary point of view. The amount of visiting faculty that comes to ISB is unparallel in India. Professors from Top B-Schools bring diverse knowledge and aid in developing a well-rounded global perspective.

Another great advantage that ISB brings is the peer learning group where all our batchmates come from diverse backgrounds and share varied perspectives from different walks of life. These peers end up becoming a part of your life and life-long friends. I still keep in touch with my peer group and share career notes with them on regular basis.

Lastly, international immersion plays a very crucial role in developing a global business perspective. Though I didn’t apply for the student exchange programme, I still ended up students coming from Top B-Schools in the USA, Europe and Asia on the campus. The learning environment ISB provides is inconceivable until you join the programme yourself!

B) The Extraordinary Network

I think you hear every single ISB alum rave about the Alumni Network and like most of the aspirants, I had the same question – Why should I pay so much for a network? Yet ten years after graduating from ISB, it is probably my biggest takeaway – having an unbelievably diverse network.

In my class itself, we had cohorts from every single undergrad out there and all walks of life. My wife herself was a doctor who had served in the Indian Navy. We had journalists, lawyers, engineers, economists, medical professionals, army personnel and the list goes on.

Even the functional experience you see in the class is mind-boggling. We had engineers who had already moved into a different functional area. There were people from consulting. Few of them had on-ground experience in the energy sector. Getting to learn from their experience was a fantastic experience. Talking about sectoral representation, we had people who had worked in SBI and ICICI in the same class! All in all, ISB has diversity at its core.

When I look at the Alumni Network, each member has an unfathomable number of resources to tap in from. From startups to big conglomerates; Consulting giants to financial moguls; social impact to public policy – you will find ISB alumni working in all sectors all around the world.

A network is not about having a thousand friends. It is about having 1000 people whom you can turn up to any time for advice. ISB Alumni Network in that sense is a truly Transformational Network.

C) Personal Growth

In a country where you have Top B-Schools with over 60 years of legacy, ISB is a very young B-School and yet very entrepreneurial in nature. Entrepreneurial not in terms of joining a startup, but rather the way it induces creativity, innovation and growth mindset through its pedagogy and research. This helps you immensely in career development not just after graduation, but even 10 years down the line. From my batch of 2011, only 1% of the classmates are in the same field they started their career in and are doing phenomenally well in their lives.

Think of ISB as a startup ecosystem where you can do what you want to do like an entrepreneur. If a student is interested in something – nothing stops him/her from taking the initiative. For example, 10 years back during my time at ISB, India had won its first individual gold medal in Olympics, a batchmate of ours started an initiative called ISL to bring sports and business together on the campus. Another batchmate wanted to start a mutual fund and school helped him find ways to do it. This is something unique to ISB in comparison to traditional B-Schools where you have a long hierarchy and process to get things done.

Since ISB is very entrepreneurial, it has managed to keep its curriculum & course upgraded and global. The school really listens to the frequent feedback alumni provide keeps updating itself accordingly.

All in all, ISB has a student-driven entrepreneurial culture. I believe it also applies to the alumni as well. You will never see alumni as passionate about ISB in any other school. We are always in touch with the school in any possible we can.

Author: Paritosh Garlyal
This Blog post was imported into the forum automatically. We hope you found it helpful. Please use the Kudos button if you did, or please PM/DM me if you found it disruptive and I will take care of it. -BB
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ISB MBA Admissions & Related Blogs 08 Sep 2021, 04:01
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FROM ISB PGP Admissions Director Blog: My Incredible One Year at ISB
“ISB provides an absolute work-class academics.”

“The professors at ISB are at the top of their game.”

– Prashanth Venkatesh

If I could summarise my journey through ISB in one sentence, it probably would be “Lived a lifetime in one year.” That is how wonderfully crazy it is to study at ISB.

You really get to know how much can happen in a single calendar year. It is really about 365 days and nights where one spends around 20 hours a day learning & just 4 hours sleeping. You meet professionals from all over the country and different parts of the globe. One gets to participate in conferences, presentations, quizzes, events, clubs, networking and much more. I am glad that I was able to do all of it in just one year and look back at it as a fond memory.

Sometimes in life, it is more important to know what you don’t want to do rather than what you want to do. In an era where we are inundated by choices, it becomes difficult to choose where you want to go ahead in your career. My curiosity towards marketing made my choice quite easy and that is how I came to ISB – the mecca of marketing.

I managed to specialise in Marketing as well as Finance. These specialisations benefitted my career tremendously. Marketing helped me land into my job and I have never looked back ever since. Finance helped me appreciate the way great companies are built around strong capital investments. One cannot have a strong company without a strong balance sheet.

How ISB empowers you

When I think about how PGP empowered me and my career, I chart out three strong points. These three takeaways are the cornerstone of my leadership and career development. There are many great B-Schools around the world and in India but what differentiates ISB for me are the following:

A) World Class Academics

ISB provides absolute work-class academics. PGP has a very designed curriculum that can be split into two terms – the core term and the elective term. Core term lays a strong foundation of business management wherein you learn the basics of subjects such as finance, strategy, economics, marketing and digital marketing. The elective term is where you discover the subject of your interest & garner in-depth knowledge about them. Overall, ISB provides a great mix of courses on Operations, Leadership, Analytics, Strategy, Finance and Marketing.

The professors at ISB are at the top of their game. We had around 30 professors on the campus & each one of them was a master of their subjects. These tutors aren’t like latching on to their past laurels but are continuing to do great research & teach from a more contemporary point of view. The amount of visiting faculty that comes to ISB is unparallel in India. Professors from Top B-Schools bring diverse knowledge and aid in developing a well-rounded global perspective.

Another great advantage that ISB brings is the peer learning group where all our batchmates come from diverse backgrounds and share varied perspectives from different walks of life. These peers end up becoming a part of your life and life-long friends. I still keep in touch with my peer group and share career notes with them on regular basis.

Lastly, international immersion plays a very crucial role in developing a global business perspective. Though I didn’t apply for the student exchange programme, I still ended up students coming from Top B-Schools in the USA, Europe and Asia on the campus. The learning environment ISB provides is inconceivable until you join the programme yourself!

B) The Extraordinary Network

I think you hear every single ISB alum rave about the Alumni Network and like most of the aspirants, I had the same question – Why should I pay so much for a network? Yet ten years after graduating from ISB, it is probably my biggest takeaway – having an unbelievably diverse network.

In my class itself, we had cohorts from every single undergrad out there and all walks of life. My wife herself was a doctor who had served in the Indian Navy. We had journalists, lawyers, engineers, economists, medical professionals, army personnel and the list goes on.

Even the functional experience you see in the class is mind-boggling. We had engineers who had already moved into a different functional area. There were people from consulting. Few of them had on-ground experience in the energy sector. Getting to learn from their experience was a fantastic experience. Talking about sectoral representation, we had people who had worked in SBI and ICICI in the same class! All in all, ISB has diversity at its core.

When I look at the Alumni Network, each member has an unfathomable number of resources to tap in from. From startups to big conglomerates; Consulting giants to financial moguls; social impact to public policy – you will find ISB alumni working in all sectors all around the world.

A network is not about having a thousand friends. It is about having 1000 people whom you can turn up to any time for advice. ISB Alumni Network in that sense is a truly Transformational Network.

C) Personal Growth

In a country where you have Top B-Schools with over 60 years of legacy, ISB is a very young B-School and yet very entrepreneurial in nature. Entrepreneurial not in terms of joining a startup, but rather the way it induces creativity, innovation and growth mindset through its pedagogy and research. This helps you immensely in career development not just after graduation, but even 10 years down the line. From my batch of 2011, only 1% of the classmates are in the same field they started their career in and are doing phenomenally well in their lives.

Think of ISB as a startup ecosystem where you can do what you want to do like an entrepreneur. If a student is interested in something – nothing stops him/her from taking the initiative. For example, 10 years back during my time at ISB, India had won its first individual gold medal in Olympics, a batchmate of ours started an initiative called ISL to bring sports and business together on the campus. Another batchmate wanted to start a mutual fund and school helped him find ways to do it. This is something unique to ISB in comparison to traditional B-Schools where you have a long hierarchy and process to get things done.

Since ISB is very entrepreneurial, it has managed to keep its curriculum & course upgraded and global. The school really listens to the frequent feedback alumni provide keeps updating itself accordingly.

All in all, ISB has a student-driven entrepreneurial culture. I believe it also applies to the alumni as well. You will never see alumni as passionate about ISB in any other school. We are always in touch with the school in any possible we can.

Author: Paritosh Garlyal
This Blog post was imported into the forum automatically. We hope you found it helpful. Please use the Kudos button if you did, or please PM/DM me if you found it disruptive and I will take care of it. -BB
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ISB MBA Admissions & Related Blogs 08 Sep 2021, 12:00
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FROM ISB Admissions Blog: The Family Business Resilience Levers in Extraordinary Times
 

The current global pandemic induced by Covid-19 has brought disruptions of unparallel magnitude in recent times. As the world reels through these unprecedented times, family businesses around the world are evolving rapidly to cater the new realities and are developing new ways to deal with the economic downturn.

To address the issues of recent extraordinary times and what resilience levers Family Businesses have to cope with it, former PGP MFAB students & current ISB Alumni joined the “The Family Business Saga” discussion.  Here is the summarised version of the session.

Pandemic Redefining Work & Family Boundaries:

When a crisis hits a family business, it also comes home, increasing the level of work-family conflict. The case has aggravated even more in the current situation where work and family boundaries are being redefined with social distancing measures.

Speaking on the topic, Chetan reflects from his own experience, “Although we were taking all the necessary precautions at home and office, the second wave made us realise the importance of keeping individual family members & business stakeholders safe. If all of us got infected at the same time, there will be nobody to take care of day-to-day business functions. Our adaptability towards using digital resources for meetings, everyday discussions and client relationships became an advantage, helping us to keep going. The crisis does hit the office & home at the same time, but a well-thought-out plan can keep problems at bay.  It also comes down to each family member and employees taking responsibility and precaution to ensure everyone’s safety.”

Sharing his thoughts on the topic, Ravi added, “There was a time during the pandemic when all of the family members were hit by Covid-19 at the same time. It was a bit difficult for us to look after each other and be aware of everyday work at the business. We had to adapt to a different style of working over the past year. As long as family businesses are able to make that change, it bodes well for the family as well as the business.”

For Priyanka, the situation looked a bit different in her family. “While none of our family members (at least the ones involved in the business) were directly affected by the virus, but my father’s business (hospitality) took a bit hit due to the lockdown. The industry was taken by a storm with a period of complete shutdown and zero cash flows. We had to look for ways to mobilise, liquidate as well as a set sight for different opportunities. This made us realise the importance of risk diversification.”

Empathy & Bonding in the Times of Crisis:

Family businesses are also known for their tendency to allow more space for emotional factors than other businesses do. Emotions flow from the family to the business and vice versa. These features offer a significant advantage in times of crisis.

Speaking on the topic, Ravi stressed the importance of empathy. “I believe it is first on the family businesses to showcase understanding and care to its employees during a crisis. Businesses should be ready to support them during these tough times. Once family businesses are able to take this first step, there is a good level of reciprocation that comes back from the employees as well.”

Priyanka recollects a change that the pandemic brought in their family. “Though all the family members & stakeholders spoke to each other every day in terms of business, it was during the pandemic that we all connected on the personal level as well and spoke about our hobbies and interest. This brought a lot of positivity to the workplace environment and the whole culture of the working changed significantly.”

Echoing with thoughts of the panellists on the topic, Chetan added, “The pandemic came as a reality check for us as it gave us a new perspective to look at things and forge in a lot of new relationships. Your colleagues are just like your extended family and taking care of their health and well-being became a priority. Once that is taken care of, it is win-win for both – the people and the business.”

Crisis & the Financial Resource Management:

Crisis not only affects the everyday business but also the management of financial resources, shifting the focus from the income statement to the cash flow statements and raising the issues of the investment opportunities.

Speaking on the topic, Priyanka highlighted how everyday management in their family businesses changed, “We as a business started re-analysing and re-working from the grass-root level. More than anything, the pandemic hit the continuity of most businesses. It was not about the profitability or growth at one point in time but rather about survival. It essentially included taking care of overall business including sales & production, liquidity & breach concerns, and refinancing issues. To maintain the survival of family businesses, management of cash flows is most important during a crisis. We redefined our targets & goals at every level of the organisation and identified key stakeholders. All of this was possible only by looking at cashflows at a magnified level rather than income statements.”

Adding another point to the topic, Ravi said, “The RBI loan moratorium gave businesses a sigh of relief and time to cushion the effect. But the reality hit when the moratorium was withdrawn and businesses had to pay the interests on the loan they had taken.  Another thing that has come up in the last few months is the commodities super cycle where we are seeing inflation in various sectors go up by 30-40%. Since prices have gone up, it is important for family businesses to prioritise the liquidity, not just for their own businesses but also the downstream distributors and wholesalers to ensure purchases. So, the shift from the income statement to cashflow statements is for the entire ecosystem of businesses, suppliers & customers.”

Lessons from the Crisis:

As family businesses span many generations, they have often overcome every crisis with lessons that can be still relevant today.

Sharing his thoughts on how relevant Covid-19 and its consequences has been, Chetan said, “Any crisis, be it economic downturn or pandemic, businesses do get hit in a similar fashion, barring few small differences. In the case of Covid-19, the difference is taking care of the health of stakeholders. We ensured each and everyone related to our business got vaccinated as soon as possible. Similarly, for finances and cashflows, we sat down with our partners to understand their issues and work on finding ways to ensure the sustainability of business during tough times. This has definitely helped us a lot.”

Multi-Dimensional Resilience:

Family-controlled businesses need to address this unstable situation not only at the business level but also at the intersection of the family, business and ownership. While this adds another layer of complexity, crises allow family businesses to forge a multidimensional resilience and strengthen it over generations.

Adding her perspective to the topic, Priyanka articulated, “The way our family business has been organised, it is probably the way modern family businesses are trying to evolve. Our business is more modular in nature and with the pandemic, it has become more important to have risk diversification in your portfolio. Though these modules fall under the bigger umbrella of the family council, each module of business works more independently. This helps in building more leaders in the organisation which brings more resilience and strength. Hence, it creates a strong foundation for the family businesses in diverse industries and enables them to withstand crisis more effectively.”

Economic Fallout & Measures:

As the economic fallout from the pandemic hit family businesses & their balance sheets, many of them took drastic measures to preserve cash, such as significant cuts on capital expenditure, dividend cuts, reductions in external spending and temporary plant closures.

Addressing the subject of taking measures, Ravi opined, “I believe different sectors have been hit differently by the pandemic. Each family business had to evaluate which division required more attention and there few hard decisions had to be made. But as we have witnessed historically, every period of crisis has been followed a period of high growth. It is important for family businesses to conserve cash and reduce capital expenditure in order to capitalise in period of high growth which we expect once the pandemic is over.”

Long-Term Gains over Short-Term Profits:

The long-term outlook of family businesses distinguishes them from other enterprises. By focusing on resilience, as opposed to short-term gains, family businesses are able to weather economic storms in a better manner.

Speaking on the subject, Chetan put forth his views. “Family businesses generally focus on long-term visibility, viability and survival. Leaders in family businesses do not dive in and focus on just making their balance sheets look good or make as much as money possible in a short period of time. They invest in long-term continuity, survival & growth of family business in order to pass it on from one generation to another. This helps family businesses to cope with the crisis in a much better way as they are able to take a step back ensuring enough reserves to get back on track once the economy springs back.”

Employees Relationship during Crisis:

Family businesses are also less likely than their non-family counterparts to lay off employees during economic downturns. Longer employee tenure, in turn, reinforces the culture, while increasing efficiencies.

Speaking on this phenomenon, Ravi added, “Family businesses tend to think of employees as a part of their extended family and are likely not let go of them in times of crisis. This makes employees feel more closer to the business and develop a sense of ownership which in turn helps in increasing productivity. Additionally, when you don’t lay off your employees, you save time and resources on hiring and training a new employee. This is another benefit family businesses have with employees having longer tenure with the organisation.”

The above blog summarises and presents excerpts from an online panel discussion organised by The Indian School of Business on the topic “The Family Business Resilience Levers in Extraordinary Times” dating 31-07-2021. Chetan Chikkamaranahally (PGP MFAB Co’14) is Director at Shakti Precision Components Pvt. Ltd. Priyanka Mechineni (PGP MFAB Co’19) is the Founder & Director of Aetna Lifesciences & Excelleur Solutions. Ravi Shankar (PGP MFAB Co’19) is the Managing Partner at Sri Abirmani Vanaspati Industries. The session was hosted by Aneesha Chowdary, Associate Director of Admissions at ISB.

Author:  Paritosh Garlyal
This Blog post was imported into the forum automatically. We hope you found it helpful. Please use the Kudos button if you did, or please PM/DM me if you found it disruptive and I will take care of it. -BB
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FROM ISB PGP Admissions Director Blog: The Family Business Resilience Levers in Extraordinary Times
 

The current global pandemic induced by Covid-19 has brought disruptions of unparallel magnitude in recent times. As the world reels through these unprecedented times, family businesses around the world are evolving rapidly to cater the new realities and are developing new ways to deal with the economic downturn.

To address the issues of recent extraordinary times and what resilience levers Family Businesses have to cope with it, former PGP MFAB students & current ISB Alumni joined the “The Family Business Saga” discussion.  Here is the summarised version of the session.

Pandemic Redefining Work & Family Boundaries:

When a crisis hits a family business, it also comes home, increasing the level of work-family conflict. The case has aggravated even more in the current situation where work and family boundaries are being redefined with social distancing measures.

Speaking on the topic, Chetan reflects from his own experience, “Although we were taking all the necessary precautions at home and office, the second wave made us realise the importance of keeping individual family members & business stakeholders safe. If all of us got infected at the same time, there will be nobody to take care of day-to-day business functions. Our adaptability towards using digital resources for meetings, everyday discussions and client relationships became an advantage, helping us to keep going. The crisis does hit the office & home at the same time, but a well-thought-out plan can keep problems at bay.  It also comes down to each family member and employees taking responsibility and precaution to ensure everyone’s safety.”

Sharing his thoughts on the topic, Ravi added, “There was a time during the pandemic when all of the family members were hit by Covid-19 at the same time. It was a bit difficult for us to look after each other and be aware of everyday work at the business. We had to adapt to a different style of working over the past year. As long as family businesses are able to make that change, it bodes well for the family as well as the business.”

For Priyanka, the situation looked a bit different in her family. “While none of our family members (at least the ones involved in the business) were directly affected by the virus, but my father’s business (hospitality) took a bit hit due to the lockdown. The industry was taken by a storm with a period of complete shutdown and zero cash flows. We had to look for ways to mobilise, liquidate as well as a set sight for different opportunities. This made us realise the importance of risk diversification.”

Empathy & Bonding in the Times of Crisis:

Family businesses are also known for their tendency to allow more space for emotional factors than other businesses do. Emotions flow from the family to the business and vice versa. These features offer a significant advantage in times of crisis.

Speaking on the topic, Ravi stressed the importance of empathy. “I believe it is first on the family businesses to showcase understanding and care to its employees during a crisis. Businesses should be ready to support them during these tough times. Once family businesses are able to take this first step, there is a good level of reciprocation that comes back from the employees as well.”

Priyanka recollects a change that the pandemic brought in their family. “Though all the family members & stakeholders spoke to each other every day in terms of business, it was during the pandemic that we all connected on the personal level as well and spoke about our hobbies and interest. This brought a lot of positivity to the workplace environment and the whole culture of the working changed significantly.”

Echoing with thoughts of the panellists on the topic, Chetan added, “The pandemic came as a reality check for us as it gave us a new perspective to look at things and forge in a lot of new relationships. Your colleagues are just like your extended family and taking care of their health and well-being became a priority. Once that is taken care of, it is win-win for both – the people and the business.”

Crisis & the Financial Resource Management:

Crisis not only affects the everyday business but also the management of financial resources, shifting the focus from the income statement to the cash flow statements and raising the issues of the investment opportunities.

Speaking on the topic, Priyanka highlighted how everyday management in their family businesses changed, “We as a business started re-analysing and re-working from the grass-root level. More than anything, the pandemic hit the continuity of most businesses. It was not about the profitability or growth at one point in time but rather about survival. It essentially included taking care of overall business including sales & production, liquidity & breach concerns, and refinancing issues. To maintain the survival of family businesses, management of cash flows is most important during a crisis. We redefined our targets & goals at every level of the organisation and identified key stakeholders. All of this was possible only by looking at cashflows at a magnified level rather than income statements.”

Adding another point to the topic, Ravi said, “The RBI loan moratorium gave businesses a sigh of relief and time to cushion the effect. But the reality hit when the moratorium was withdrawn and businesses had to pay the interests on the loan they had taken.  Another thing that has come up in the last few months is the commodities super cycle where we are seeing inflation in various sectors go up by 30-40%. Since prices have gone up, it is important for family businesses to prioritise the liquidity, not just for their own businesses but also the downstream distributors and wholesalers to ensure purchases. So, the shift from the income statement to cashflow statements is for the entire ecosystem of businesses, suppliers & customers.”

Lessons from the Crisis:

As family businesses span many generations, they have often overcome every crisis with lessons that can be still relevant today.

Sharing his thoughts on how relevant Covid-19 and its consequences has been, Chetan said, “Any crisis, be it economic downturn or pandemic, businesses do get hit in a similar fashion, barring few small differences. In the case of Covid-19, the difference is taking care of the health of stakeholders. We ensured each and everyone related to our business got vaccinated as soon as possible. Similarly, for finances and cashflows, we sat down with our partners to understand their issues and work on finding ways to ensure the sustainability of business during tough times. This has definitely helped us a lot.”

Multi-Dimensional Resilience:

Family-controlled businesses need to address this unstable situation not only at the business level but also at the intersection of the family, business and ownership. While this adds another layer of complexity, crises allow family businesses to forge a multidimensional resilience and strengthen it over generations.

Adding her perspective to the topic, Priyanka articulated, “The way our family business has been organised, it is probably the way modern family businesses are trying to evolve. Our business is more modular in nature and with the pandemic, it has become more important to have risk diversification in your portfolio. Though these modules fall under the bigger umbrella of the family council, each module of business works more independently. This helps in building more leaders in the organisation which brings more resilience and strength. Hence, it creates a strong foundation for the family businesses in diverse industries and enables them to withstand crisis more effectively.”

Economic Fallout & Measures:

As the economic fallout from the pandemic hit family businesses & their balance sheets, many of them took drastic measures to preserve cash, such as significant cuts on capital expenditure, dividend cuts, reductions in external spending and temporary plant closures.

Addressing the subject of taking measures, Ravi opined, “I believe different sectors have been hit differently by the pandemic. Each family business had to evaluate which division required more attention and there few hard decisions had to be made. But as we have witnessed historically, every period of crisis has been followed a period of high growth. It is important for family businesses to conserve cash and reduce capital expenditure in order to capitalise in period of high growth which we expect once the pandemic is over.”

Long-Term Gains over Short-Term Profits:

The long-term outlook of family businesses distinguishes them from other enterprises. By focusing on resilience, as opposed to short-term gains, family businesses are able to weather economic storms in a better manner.

Speaking on the subject, Chetan put forth his views. “Family businesses generally focus on long-term visibility, viability and survival. Leaders in family businesses do not dive in and focus on just making their balance sheets look good or make as much as money possible in a short period of time. They invest in long-term continuity, survival & growth of family business in order to pass it on from one generation to another. This helps family businesses to cope with the crisis in a much better way as they are able to take a step back ensuring enough reserves to get back on track once the economy springs back.”

Employees Relationship during Crisis:

Family businesses are also less likely than their non-family counterparts to lay off employees during economic downturns. Longer employee tenure, in turn, reinforces the culture, while increasing efficiencies.

Speaking on this phenomenon, Ravi added, “Family businesses tend to think of employees as a part of their extended family and are likely not let go of them in times of crisis. This makes employees feel more closer to the business and develop a sense of ownership which in turn helps in increasing productivity. Additionally, when you don’t lay off your employees, you save time and resources on hiring and training a new employee. This is another benefit family businesses have with employees having longer tenure with the organisation.”

The above blog summarises and presents excerpts from an online panel discussion organised by The Indian School of Business on the topic “The Family Business Resilience Levers in Extraordinary Times” dating 31-07-2021. Chetan Chikkamaranahally (PGP MFAB Co’14) is Director at Shakti Precision Components Pvt. Ltd. Priyanka Mechineni (PGP MFAB Co’19) is the Founder & Director of Aetna Lifesciences & Excelleur Solutions. Ravi Shankar (PGP MFAB Co’19) is the Managing Partner at Sri Abirmani Vanaspati Industries. The session was hosted by Aneesha Chowdary, Associate Director of Admissions at ISB.

Author:  Paritosh Garlyal
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FROM ISB Admissions Blog: Family Business Updates – September 9, 2021
Modern Family Business

https://myimpact.in/index.php?page=Clip ... b4e246e2d6

Murugappa Group PAT up 53% to ₹4500 cr in FY21

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Dr Reddy’s launches drug for women hair loss after first-ever approval in India

https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/dr-reddy-s-launches-drug-for-women-hair-loss-after-first-ever-approval-in-india-11631075606672.html

JSW Steel plans to raise $1 billion via overseas bonds

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/bonds/jsw-steel-plans-to-raise-1b-via-overseas-bonds/articleshow/85963253.cms

SPAC mergers are here to stay, says Gaurav Burman, scion of Dabur family

https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/scion-of-billionaire-family-says-spac-mergers-are-here-to-stay-121090900113_1.html

Godrej Properties, Prestige Estates eye Rs 10K-cr sales booking club

https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/godrej-properties-prestige-estates-eye-rs-10k-cr-sales-booking-club-121090801235_1.html
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FROM ISB PGP Admissions Director Blog: Family Business Updates – September 9, 2021
Modern Family Business

https://myimpact.in/index.php?page=Clip ... b4e246e2d6

Murugappa Group PAT up 53% to ₹4500 cr in FY21

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/murugappa-group-pat-up-53-to-4500-cr-in-fy21/article36321316.ece

Dr Reddy’s launches drug for women hair loss after first-ever approval in India

https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/dr-reddy-s-launches-drug-for-women-hair-loss-after-first-ever-approval-in-india-11631075606672.html

JSW Steel plans to raise $1 billion via overseas bonds

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/bonds/jsw-steel-plans-to-raise-1b-via-overseas-bonds/articleshow/85963253.cms

SPAC mergers are here to stay, says Gaurav Burman, scion of Dabur family

https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/scion-of-billionaire-family-says-spac-mergers-are-here-to-stay-121090900113_1.html

Godrej Properties, Prestige Estates eye Rs 10K-cr sales booking club

https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/godrej-properties-prestige-estates-eye-rs-10k-cr-sales-booking-club-121090801235_1.html
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FROM ISB Admissions Blog: Family Business Updates – 17 September 2021
Tata companies cross $305 billion in market capitalisation

https://www.fortuneindia.com/enterprise/tata-cos-cross-305-bn-in-mktcap-ril-past-205-bn/105863

Wipro secures multi-year contract from Malaysia-based Maxis Broadband

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ArcelorMittal to triple iron ore production, pump in $800 mn in Liberia

https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/corporate/story/arcelormittal-to-triple-iron-ore-production-pump-in-800-mn-in-liberia-306565-2021-09-13

HCL Tech bags multi-year deal from Biotech firm Genmab

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/companies/hcl-tech-bags-multi-year-deal-from-biotech-firm-genmab/articleshow/86187906.cms

Hero Vired forays into corporate training with Vired for Business

https://www.financialexpress.com/education-2/hero-vired-forays-into-corporate-training-with-vired-for-business/2329596/

JSW Steel to create digitally connected smart steel factories in India by FY25

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/indl-goods/svs/steel/jsw-steel-to-create-digitally-connected-smart-steel-factories-in-india-by-fy25/articleshow/86230051.cms
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FROM ISB PGP Admissions Director Blog: Family Business Updates – 17 September 2021
Tata companies cross $305 billion in market capitalisation

https://www.fortuneindia.com/enterprise/tata-cos-cross-305-bn-in-mktcap-ril-past-205-bn/105863

Wipro secures multi-year contract from Malaysia-based Maxis Broadband

https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/wipro-secures-multi-year-contract-from-malaysia-based-maxis-broadband-11631715867789.html

ArcelorMittal to triple iron ore production, pump in $800 mn in Liberia

https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/corporate/story/arcelormittal-to-triple-iron-ore-production-pump-in-800-mn-in-liberia-306565-2021-09-13

HCL Tech bags multi-year deal from Biotech firm Genmab

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/companies/hcl-tech-bags-multi-year-deal-from-biotech-firm-genmab/articleshow/86187906.cms

Hero Vired forays into corporate training with Vired for Business

https://www.financialexpress.com/education-2/hero-vired-forays-into-corporate-training-with-vired-for-business/2329596/

JSW Steel to create digitally connected smart steel factories in India by FY25

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/indl-goods/svs/steel/jsw-steel-to-create-digitally-connected-smart-steel-factories-in-india-by-fy25/articleshow/86230051.cms
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FROM ISB Admissions Blog: Family Business Updates – September 24, 2021
Tata-Airbus set to sign Rs 22,000-cr deal to make military plane

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/tata-airbus-set-to-sign-rs-22000-cr-deal-to-make-military-plane/articleshow/86415492.cms

Adani group to invest $20 billion in renewable energy

https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/adani-group-looks-to-invest-20-billion-in-renewable-energy-11632250095926.html

Welspun Corp receives orders worth Rs 1,400 crore

https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/corporate/story/welspun-corp-receives-orders-worth-rs-1400-crore-307130-2021-09-20

Godrej Properties records sale of Rs 575 cr in a day

https://www.businesstoday.in/industry/infra/story/godrej-properties-records-sale-of-rs-575-cr-in-a-day-307277-2021-09-22

Wipro Launches Wipro-Google Cloud Innovation Arena In Bangalore

https://www.ndtv.com/business/wipro-launches-wipro-google-cloud-innovation-arena-in-bangalore-2546747

Dabur India expands personal care portfolio with Vatika face wash launch

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/dabur-india-expands-personal-care-portfolio-with-vatika-face-wash-launch/article36568322.ece
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FROM ISB PGP Admissions Director Blog: Family Business Updates – September 24, 2021
Tata-Airbus set to sign Rs 22,000-cr deal to make military plane

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/tata-airbus-set-to-sign-rs-22000-cr-deal-to-make-military-plane/articleshow/86415492.cms

Adani group to invest $20 billion in renewable energy

https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/adani-group-looks-to-invest-20-billion-in-renewable-energy-11632250095926.html

Welspun Corp receives orders worth Rs 1,400 crore

https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/corporate/story/welspun-corp-receives-orders-worth-rs-1400-crore-307130-2021-09-20

Godrej Properties records sale of Rs 575 cr in a day

https://www.businesstoday.in/industry/infra/story/godrej-properties-records-sale-of-rs-575-cr-in-a-day-307277-2021-09-22

Wipro Launches Wipro-Google Cloud Innovation Arena In Bangalore

https://www.ndtv.com/business/wipro-launches-wipro-google-cloud-innovation-arena-in-bangalore-2546747

Dabur India expands personal care portfolio with Vatika face wash launch

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/dabur-india-expands-personal-care-portfolio-with-vatika-face-wash-launch/article36568322.ece
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FROM ISB PGP Admissions Director Blog: 4 Women ISB Alums who are Making Impact in the World of Consulting
Consulting is a highly sought-after career option for MBA aspirants. It is not only a career alternative for professionals with a tech background but also provides a chance to work across diverse industries and sectors. The Indian School of Business is one of the biggest talent pools for top recruiters in consulting and provides great opportunities for students looking for a functional shift in their careers.

In the second blog of ISB verve, we celebrate women and ISB Alumni from the world of consulting who are serving at key positions at Top Tier consulting firms in the world across various geographies. From Deloitte, KPMG, EY to BCG, here are the stories of four women and their journey.

Pallavi Malani, BCG:


Pallavi Malani is a Managing Director & Partner at Boston Consulting Group. In her decade and a half-long career, Pallavi has worked with global organisations including KPMG and IBM across diverse industries. She started her career as an analyst at KPMG, working on complex processes to assess risk and recommend mitigating controls across diverse industries such as Retail, FMCG, Infrastructure etc. Subsequently, she moved to IBM to work as a Consultant, leading a cross-cultural team to revamp the go-to-market strategy for IBM’s technology services.

After spending a year with IBM, she came to ISB in 2009 to further strengthen her knowledge and skills. According to her “For a successful career in consulting, one needs the ability to think in a structured manner. One should also be able to solve a diverse set of problems and go beyond the obvious to bring a well-rounded solution that clients value. One also needs a wide network to leverage opportunities and build deep client relationships. PGP provides a substantive value in all these aspects. ISB helps you signal to the world your dedication to upgrade your core skills, provides a wide network of alumni to tap into and gives access to build a career in consulting”


Mollshree Garg, KPMG: 

Mollshree Garg is a Partner at KPMG, leading a team of around 200 consultants to deliver projects globally in some of the most exciting sub-sectors including Fintech, Healthcare, Ecommerce and ESG.

Having dabbled in HR consulting initially in her career, Mollshree came to the ISB in 2009 with a clear desire to move career paths and enter consulting full time. For her, ISB was the means to gain great strategy and finance knowledge and skills. As a student, she organized ISB’s first Talent Management Conclave, attracting HR leaders from across industries onto campus. The conclave became the conduit to the HR leads at Deloitte, eventually landing in her job with them.

After spending eight years at Deloitte, Mollshree moved KPMG. For her consulting has lived up to its promises of “you never stop learning” and ‘there is never a dull day.”

On the personal front, Mollshree likes to spend her free time gardening, binge-watching and reading. Her favorite books include 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari, Good to Great by Jim Collines and Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger.

Nikita Mehra, Deloitte


Nikita Mehra currently serves as Director at Deloitte in their UK Financial Advisory (M&A) practice in London. Prior to Deloitte, she spent 3.5 years in operational risk, transaction banking and corporate banking roles at Standard Chartered Bank in Mumbai.

An ISB alum from the founding class of 2002, Nikita felt a bit overwhelmed at first, being among the youngest students in the batch and with the bare minimum work experience. She says, “Eventually I realised that I did not have to measure and compare myself to or compete my fellow with classmates, and rather be ‘me’. It is a learning that I have carried with me into every arena of life and has served me extremely well in life – making it one of the key takeaways from my time at ISB.”

Recently completing her 14 years with Deloitte, she remembers her initial plan was to get the “standard” international experience for 2 years after her second masters and then return home to India. Clearly Britain and all things British agreed with her, including the weather!

An avid reader, she likes fiction and non-fiction alike. Her recommendations include The Secret Island by Enid Blyton, The Diary of Anne Frank & Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson.

Shikha Gera, Ernst & Young: 


Shikha Gera works as a Director at EY. A strategy, transformation and digital professional, she has extensive experience in leading multi-functional teams and senior stakeholder management. With over 14 years of experience in tier 1 global consulting firms, Shikha designs and leads programs to achieve desired business outcomes via multiple transformation and digital levers.

Her journey in consulting started with a research role in McKinsey, subsequent to her graduation from Delhi university. After spending two years in the organisation, Shikha came to ISB in 2005. She recalls, “I was working with McKinsey and the firm was closely involved in the setup of ISB. Given the rich backgrounds of the organisations involved, I was pretty sure no stone would be unturned to make the endeavour a success.”

Her key takeaways from ISB – don’t compete instead grow to find your niche. Don’t compare and rather share. Network and learn. There is no dearth of opportunities that one can pursue. Post ISB, Shikha joined EY and served in various roles.

When not working, Shikha likes to catch up with her 9-year-old, spending time with her on board/card games. In terms of hobbies, she likes to sing and is trained in Hindustani classical music. She is recently trying to hone her guitar skills, though that’s coming along real slow!
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FROM ISB Admissions Blog: 4 Women ISB Alums who are Making Impact in the World of Consulting
Consulting is a highly sought-after career option for MBA aspirants. It is not only a career alternative for professionals with a tech background but also provides a chance to work across diverse industries and sectors. The Indian School of Business is one of the biggest talent pools for top recruiters in consulting and provides great opportunities for students looking for a functional shift in their careers.

In the second blog of ISB verve, we celebrate women and ISB Alumni from the world of consulting who are serving at key positions at Top Tier consulting firms in the world across various geographies. From Deloitte, KPMG, EY to BCG, here are the stories of four women and their journey.

Pallavi Malani, BCG:


Pallavi Malani is a Managing Director & Partner at Boston Consulting Group. In her decade and a half-long career, Pallavi has worked with global organisations including KPMG and IBM across diverse industries. She started her career as an analyst at KPMG, working on complex processes to assess risk and recommend mitigating controls across diverse industries such as Retail, FMCG, Infrastructure etc. Subsequently, she moved to IBM to work as a Consultant, leading a cross-cultural team to revamp the go-to-market strategy for IBM’s technology services.

After spending a year with IBM, she came to ISB in 2009 to further strengthen her knowledge and skills. According to her “For a successful career in consulting, one needs the ability to think in a structured manner. One should also be able to solve a diverse set of problems and go beyond the obvious to bring a well-rounded solution that clients value. One also needs a wide network to leverage opportunities and build deep client relationships. PGP provides a substantive value in all these aspects. ISB helps you signal to the world your dedication to upgrade your core skills, provides a wide network of alumni to tap into and gives access to build a career in consulting”


Mollshree Garg, KPMG: 

Mollshree Garg is a Partner at KPMG, leading a team of around 200 consultants to deliver projects globally in some of the most exciting sub-sectors including Fintech, Healthcare, Ecommerce and ESG.

Having dabbled in HR consulting initially in her career, Mollshree came to the ISB in 2009 with a clear desire to move career paths and enter consulting full time. For her, ISB was the means to gain great strategy and finance knowledge and skills. As a student, she organized ISB’s first Talent Management Conclave, attracting HR leaders from across industries onto campus. The conclave became the conduit to the HR leads at Deloitte, eventually landing in her job with them.

After spending eight years at Deloitte, Mollshree moved KPMG. For her consulting has lived up to its promises of “you never stop learning” and ‘there is never a dull day.”

On the personal front, Mollshree likes to spend her free time gardening, binge-watching and reading. Her favorite books include 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari, Good to Great by Jim Collines and Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger.

Nikita Mehra, Deloitte


Nikita Mehra currently serves as Director at Deloitte in their UK Financial Advisory (M&A) practice in London. Prior to Deloitte, she spent 3.5 years in operational risk, transaction banking and corporate banking roles at Standard Chartered Bank in Mumbai.

An ISB alum from the founding class of 2002, Nikita felt a bit overwhelmed at first, being among the youngest students in the batch and with the bare minimum work experience. She says, “Eventually I realised that I did not have to measure and compare myself to or compete my fellow with classmates, and rather be ‘me’. It is a learning that I have carried with me into every arena of life and has served me extremely well in life – making it one of the key takeaways from my time at ISB.”

Recently completing her 14 years with Deloitte, she remembers her initial plan was to get the “standard” international experience for 2 years after her second masters and then return home to India. Clearly Britain and all things British agreed with her, including the weather!

An avid reader, she likes fiction and non-fiction alike. Her recommendations include The Secret Island by Enid Blyton, The Diary of Anne Frank & Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson.

Shikha Gera, Ernst & Young: 


Shikha Gera works as a Director at EY. A strategy, transformation and digital professional, she has extensive experience in leading multi-functional teams and senior stakeholder management. With over 14 years of experience in tier 1 global consulting firms, Shikha designs and leads programs to achieve desired business outcomes via multiple transformation and digital levers.

Her journey in consulting started with a research role in McKinsey, subsequent to her graduation from Delhi university. After spending two years in the organisation, Shikha came to ISB in 2005. She recalls, “I was working with McKinsey and the firm was closely involved in the setup of ISB. Given the rich backgrounds of the organisations involved, I was pretty sure no stone would be unturned to make the endeavour a success.”

Her key takeaways from ISB – don’t compete instead grow to find your niche. Don’t compare and rather share. Network and learn. There is no dearth of opportunities that one can pursue. Post ISB, Shikha joined EY and served in various roles.

When not working, Shikha likes to catch up with her 9-year-old, spending time with her on board/card games. In terms of hobbies, she likes to sing and is trained in Hindustani classical music. She is recently trying to hone her guitar skills, though that’s coming along real slow!
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FROM ISB PGP Admissions Director Blog: Family Business Updates – October 01, 2021
Godrej Industries raises Rs 750 crore to fund growth through non-convertible debentures

https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/godrej-industries-raises-rs-750-crore-through-non-convertible-debentures-121092801019_1.html

TCS signs a 5-year IT transformation deal with German bank NORD/LB

https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/tcs-signs-a-5-year-it-transformation-deal-with-german-bank-nord-lb-121092800640_1.html

Reliance Industries in talks to buy stake in Google-backed Glance InMobi

https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/reliance-industries-in-talks-to-buy-stake-in-google-backed-glance-inmobi-report-11632745302124.html

Marico Launches Chyawanprash To Take On Dabur

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/companies/marico-launches-chyawanprash-to-take-on-dabur-7513691.html

Apollo Hospitals launch AI tool to predict cardiovascular disease risk

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/apollo-hospitals-launch-ai-tool-to-predict-cardiovascular-disease-risk-7541035/

Cyient recognized as a Select Tier Consulting Partner by AWS

https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-cm/cyient-recognized-as-a-select-tier-consulting-partner-by-aws-121092701245_1.html
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ISB MBA Admissions & Related Blogs 30 Sep 2021, 23:00
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FROM ISB Admissions Blog: Family Business Updates – October 01, 2021
Godrej Industries raises Rs 750 crore to fund growth through non-convertible debentures

https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/godrej-industries-raises-rs-750-crore-through-non-convertible-debentures-121092801019_1.html

TCS signs a 5-year IT transformation deal with German bank NORD/LB

https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/tcs-signs-a-5-year-it-transformation-deal-with-german-bank-nord-lb-121092800640_1.html

Reliance Industries in talks to buy stake in Google-backed Glance InMobi

https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/reliance-industries-in-talks-to-buy-stake-in-google-backed-glance-inmobi-report-11632745302124.html

Marico Launches Chyawanprash To Take On Dabur

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/companies/marico-launches-chyawanprash-to-take-on-dabur-7513691.html

Apollo Hospitals launch AI tool to predict cardiovascular disease risk

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/apollo-hospitals-launch-ai-tool-to-predict-cardiovascular-disease-risk-7541035/

Cyient recognized as a Select Tier Consulting Partner by AWS

https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-cm/cyient-recognized-as-a-select-tier-consulting-partner-by-aws-121092701245_1.html
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ISB MBA Admissions & Related Blogs 07 Oct 2021, 21:00
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FROM ISB Admissions Blog: Family Business Updates – October 8, 2021
Titan registers strong growth as easing virus curbs boost second-quarter sales

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/titan-scales-record-peak-as-easing-virus-curbs-boost-second-quarter-sales/article36872074.ece

Apollo Hospitals launches centre of excellence to boost critical care across India

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/healthcare/apollo-hospitals-launches-centre-of-excellence-to-boost-critical-care-across-india/articleshow/86812907.cms

Reliance Retail takes master franchise of 7-Eleven stores in India; to launch first store this week

https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/reliance-retail-to-launch-first-7-eleven-store-in-india-this-week-mukesh-ambani-takes-master-franchise/2345394/

Piramal announces demerger and simplification of corporate structure

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/piramal-announces-demerger-and-simplification-of-corporate-structure/article36874577.ece

Biological E’s managing director Mahima Datla richest woman in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/bio-es-mahima-datla-richest-woman-in-t-ap/articleshow/86823610.cms

Old Economy vs. New Economy – Indian family businesses adapt well to the digital world

https://www.famcap.com/2021/10/old-economy-vs-new-economy-indian-family-businesses-adapt-well-to-the-digital-world/
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ISB MBA Admissions & Related Blogs 07 Oct 2021, 21:00
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FROM ISB PGP Admissions Director Blog: Family Business Updates – October 8, 2021
Titan registers strong growth as easing virus curbs boost second-quarter sales

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/titan-scales-record-peak-as-easing-virus-curbs-boost-second-quarter-sales/article36872074.ece

Apollo Hospitals launches centre of excellence to boost critical care across India

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/healthcare/apollo-hospitals-launches-centre-of-excellence-to-boost-critical-care-across-india/articleshow/86812907.cms

Reliance Retail takes master franchise of 7-Eleven stores in India; to launch first store this week

https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/reliance-retail-to-launch-first-7-eleven-store-in-india-this-week-mukesh-ambani-takes-master-franchise/2345394/

Piramal announces demerger and simplification of corporate structure

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/piramal-announces-demerger-and-simplification-of-corporate-structure/article36874577.ece

Biological E’s managing director Mahima Datla richest woman in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/bio-es-mahima-datla-richest-woman-in-t-ap/articleshow/86823610.cms

Old Economy vs. New Economy – Indian family businesses adapt well to the digital world

https://www.famcap.com/2021/10/old-economy-vs-new-economy-indian-family-businesses-adapt-well-to-the-digital-world/
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ISB MBA Admissions & Related Blogs 13 Oct 2021, 23:00
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FROM ISB Admissions Blog: Family Business Updates – October 14, 2021
Ultratech emerges as top bidder for limestone block in MP

https://www.businesstoday.in/industry/infra/story/ultratech-emerges-as-top-bidder-for-limestone-block-in-mp-308993-2021-10-11

Reliance buys Norway’s REC Solar Holdings

https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/ambani-buys-norway-s-rec-solar-holdings-from-china-s-bluestar-for-771-mn-121101000474_1.html

Tata Sons shortlists candidates for Air India CEO post

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/tata-sons-shortlists-candidates-for-the-post-of-air-india-ceo/articleshow/86954545.cms

Sajjan Jindal appointed chairman of World Steel Association

https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/sajjan-jindal-appointed-chairman-of-world-steel-association-11634133722259.html

Dalmia Cement boosts women SHGs

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2021/state-editions/dalmia-cement-boosts-women-shgs.html

Hero MotoCorp joins hands with Gilera Motors to expand operations in Argentina

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/auto/two-wheelers-three-wheelers/hero-motocorp-joins-hands-with-gilera-motors-to-expand-operations-in-argentina/articleshow/86988917.cms
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ISB MBA Admissions & Related Blogs 13 Oct 2021, 23:00
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FROM ISB PGP Admissions Director Blog: Family Business Updates – October 14, 2021
Ultratech emerges as top bidder for limestone block in MP

https://www.businesstoday.in/industry/infra/story/ultratech-emerges-as-top-bidder-for-limestone-block-in-mp-308993-2021-10-11

Reliance buys Norway’s REC Solar Holdings

https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/ambani-buys-norway-s-rec-solar-holdings-from-china-s-bluestar-for-771-mn-121101000474_1.html

Tata Sons shortlists candidates for Air India CEO post

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/tata-sons-shortlists-candidates-for-the-post-of-air-india-ceo/articleshow/86954545.cms

Sajjan Jindal appointed chairman of World Steel Association

https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/sajjan-jindal-appointed-chairman-of-world-steel-association-11634133722259.html

Dalmia Cement boosts women SHGs

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2021/state-editions/dalmia-cement-boosts-women-shgs.html

Hero MotoCorp joins hands with Gilera Motors to expand operations in Argentina

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/auto/two-wheelers-three-wheelers/hero-motocorp-joins-hands-with-gilera-motors-to-expand-operations-in-argentina/articleshow/86988917.cms
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ISB MBA Admissions & Related Blogs 20 Oct 2021, 13:00
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FROM ISB Admissions Blog: My PGP story – Prashanth Vasu
“For others, it was a leap of faith but for me, it was more sensible to pursue PGP at ISB than an MBA in the US.” 

Prashanth Vasu is the President of Strategy at the Ramco Group. An ISB alum from the founding batch of PGP shares his one year at the ISB, the experience & learnings. Interestingly, Mr Vasu declined the opportunity to study at Kellogg and came to ISB. Read to know why!

My Career Journey & Life So Far:

I currently serve as President of Strategy at the Ramco Group, which I joined in January 2021. Before Ramco, I served as a partner with McKinsey & Company, spending 18 years across offices in Mumbai, Delhi, London and Chennai. I was one of the leaders in McKinsey’s Transformation and Accelerate practice that supports clients undergoing a major business transformation with corresponding interventions around organisational health (i.e. aspiration setting, leadership team development, capability building, execution excellence).

Over a span of 18 years at McKinsey, I have led and supported many clients through their transformation journeys, primarily in the pharmaceutical and healthcare space as well as other sectors such as logistics, financial services and industrial. My work is spread across strategy, mergers and acquisitions, R&D, procurement and so on. Prior to joining McKinsey, I was an Operations Manager at Sanmar-PTI Filters for four years.

My extra-curricular interests include tennis, classical music and I am a practitioner of heartfulness meditation for the last 25 years and a trainer for the last 8 years.

Life Before ISB:

I cannot believe it has been twenty years ever since I joined ISB as a part of PGP’s founding batch. The time has just by flown. At the time when I joined the institute, I was just 29 years old had done my undergrad in Mechanical engineering from IIT Madras and went on to pursue M.S. in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University. After spending just a year in USA after my post-graduation, I decided to return back to India which was a bit uncommon at that time.

Upon returning to India in 1997, I joined an engineering startup called Sanmar Engineering (name at that point of time) in my hometown of Chennai. The group had multiple engineering companies under its umbrella. They were setting up a new company to manufacture filters and I was part of the small founding team along with the CEO, Head of Marketing, etc. My role was to oversee the transfer of technology from our partners in the US to India. I managed the line of setup for the manufacturing facility in India, learning and bringing technical knowledge. I fulfilled these duties for four years and by 2001, I felt the need to shift gears in my career.

On the personal front, I got married in 2000 and by 2001 we were blessed with a child in our lives. As a family, we felt it was the right time to seek an MBA that enables us to change my orientation of work and puts us on a firm footing five years down the line. Though the time while pursuing MBA was going to be challenging, we felt it would be a nice break from the workplace environment to reflect & grow in a conducive learning environment.

Reasons to pursue PGP from ISB:

How did I land at ISB? I have to say I was a little bit fortunate to find ISB. I started the process to apply for MBA with two approaches. I took GMAT and started applying for B-Schools in the US such as Wharton, Kellogg and other ivy leagues schools. I also took the CAT exam but felt a bit rusty after so much time away from education. I wasn’t too confident and felt I hadn’t prepared well. I got admission into Kellogg and was about to go for it.

Interestingly, my boss (the CEO) told me about ISB. He told me how the Indian School of Business is coming up in Hyderabad in collaboration with Wharton, Kellogg & McKinsey and are starting their programme from the same year. He informed me about a session ISB was conducting at a hotel in Chennai and advised me to check it out. It sounded quite interesting as I had applied for the same schools that were coming to India with ISB. Once I attended the session, I realised what a great proposition ISB was offering.

The school was offering an international quality MBA, co-conferred by Wharton, Kellogg & London Business School. The faculty came from the Top B-Schools in the world and the duration of the programme was half to a traditional MBA. Additionally, the programme was one-third the cost compared to an MBA from abroad and I had the advantage to pursue it while staying close to my family in India. It made perfect sense for me as ISB provided an MBA of international standards in one year without having to shift my base back to the US. So, I quickly scampered to put together an application and got a call for an interview. Lo and behold, I got admission into ISB.

One might wonder whether it was a big risk at that time but I didn’t think about it in that manner. To be honest, I was reluctant to go to the US and I would have been stuck there for some time, earning to compensate for the expensive MBA degree. I wanted to stay close to my family and settle in India in the longer run. I knew ISB, through associations with Top B-Schools and backing from McKinsey was poised for a great success. Hence, I politely declined the opportunity to study at Kellogg and came to ISB. For others, it was a leap of faith but for me, it was a more sensible move.

My Time at ISB & the Founding Batch:

Before pursuing PGP from ISB or MBA in general, one should have clarity of the context on which one is seeking an MBA and what one expects upon completion. I came to ISB with four years of technical experience and exposure to international education and work. I wanted to shift from the technical aspect of things to more business orientation of work. I believe 2-5-year & 5–8-year work bands are the sweet spot to pursue a one-year management programme such as PGP.

Though it had a reasonable degree of challenges, my time at ISB was very fruitful. I enjoyed the break from work with my family in a new academic environment. It was nice to reconnect with academics and student life. Although the academic work is more, the pressure is a little less than the job. My wife and daughter had the opportunity to live in a community where all the batchmates bonded with the family and helped in taking care of our daughter.

I gained a deeper knowledge of the business side of things and was able to develop a more formal way of approach to marketing and finance problems. I wouldn’t have been exposed to these learnings had I gone on with my career. Though I haven’t had the opportunity to apply most of my learnings in the job, it still gave me a new way of thinking about problems.

While I didn’t do a great job of staying in close touch with my batch, I believe one should stay in close contact with ISB and fellow students as it provides meaningful bonds for a lifetime. I enjoyed the friendships and associations I developed during the programme. I continue staying in on-and-off touch with my batchmates and feel a great connection with them.

I also consider myself lucky as well because, within two months into the programme, I was able to bag an academic scholarship from McKinsey which cleared 75% of my student debt.

In terms of challenges, I felt a little huff and puff on the academic front as it took me almost two months to get back into the study mode. I wanted to do well in academics and felt a little bit out of shape. But once I caught back the student life, I was able to excel. It was also a tough year on campus as the world was reeling from the effects of 9/11. The markets were down and job opportunities were scarce. ISB was still in its infancy & the Career & Administrative Services (CAS) were just coming up and we were not able to address all the sentiments and aspirations. I personally found this experience quite tough. But despite these factors, I felt the entire ISB experience was time well spent. I learned, grew and was able to secure a job at McKinsey & Company. Though few had higher expectations, the entire batch was able to land at good positions.

Overall, when I look back, I’m grateful to be part of the founding batch of ISB. It was a year that helped me shift my career from a steady engineering background to a much more diverse role in a global organisation with greater career growth potential. I was able to do all of it at virtually zero cost and at least amount of debt. My subsequent 18 years at McKinsey were fantastic, filled with learning, exposure and growth. I would definitely give credit to ISB for my career progression so far.

The above blog summarises Prashanth Vasu’s PGP journey he shared during an online session conducted by the Indian School of Business.
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